


Unqualified

by Alethia



Series: Starting to Finish [6]
Category: CSI: Miami
Genre: Courtship, F/M, Workplace Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-07-06
Updated: 2004-07-06
Packaged: 2018-01-11 16:32:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1175295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alethia/pseuds/Alethia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eric wasn’t giving up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unqualified

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on LJ [here](http://alethialia.livejournal.com/79292.html#cutid2).

He needed to compliment Calleigh more.

Yes, that was it. She wouldn’t let him close, she didn’t really trust him, and he couldn’t quite figure out how to make her.

But all girls liked compliments. It was the perfect solution.

He wasn’t a detective for nothing, it seemed.

With that in mind, he resolutely walked into Calleigh’s lab, noticing that she’d done her hair in that tendrily way he liked. Must have spent a lot of time on it, and he did like it. Perfect. This was so working out; fate was smiling upon him.

“Hey, Calleigh,” he said, stopping by the table and leaning into it casually.

“Hey,” she replied, not looking up from the samples she was examining.

“I like your hair.”

“I’m not processing the Reyes samples, Eric.”

Um, what?

He smiled, covering the confusion, and tried again. “I already finished those. Stayed late last night to get them done. But I do like your hair.”

Finally looked up, eyes narrowing in contemplation, like she was trying to figure out his angle, and okay, this was not turning out as Eric had planned. Trust Calleigh to, like, defy all conventions. What girl didn’t like compliments?

But he’d said it himself often enough—Calleigh was not just any girl.

Assessment complete, she turned back to her paperwork, muttering a short “thanks” before resolutely ignoring him again. If she thought she was going to keep him at a safe distance, well, she really didn’t know him that well.

He always did love a challenge.

He leaned in closer, feeling the smirk tug at the corners of his mouth. He was invading her space, he knew it, _she_ knew it, and she was already starting to fidget. Just had to wait her out, then.

Finally got a response, a wary glance up, and he took that opportunity to twirl a finger through one of those tendrils, curling soft hair around his finger and tugging a little, liking the way her eyes widened at his serious incursion into the no-fly zone.

Worth it, even with the little dart of eyes, checking the halls, God forbid someone might _see_ them. Not that there was much to see, considering she still wouldn’t let him in and he was starting to think she never would. 

Worse that he kind of deserved it. And knew it.

Not that he was gonna let that stand in his way. He tugged again and smiled endearingly, watching it impact, knew there was a glint of triumph in his eyes, knew she would see.

He wasn’t giving up. And Calleigh was just gonna have to accept that.

***

Fin. Feedback is adored.


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